Juicing - the Anti-Depressant

Aside from certain chemical imbalance based depression, juice really can "make you happy!"

A study done by the University of Warwick in conjunction with Dartmouth College (2012) found that within a group of over 80,000 individuals, "Happiness and mental health rise in an approximately dose-response way with the number of daily portions of fruits and vegetables. While in some cases it rounds out at the recommended five per day, well-being appears to peak at seven."

What a testimony to the affects of diet on mental health and well-being!  And what better way to start enhancing that diet to include adequate/increased portions of fresh produce...?  JUICING!

Here are a few ingredients to consider that will have the highest and quickest mood-enhancing properties:

• Citrus - these fruits pack a bright and joyful flavor as well as an aroma that will naturally brighten mood
• Mango - the satisfying flavor and texture of this fruit make for a long lasting and sustained energy boost
• Lemon Balm - an herb known to brighten mood through steeping in hot water
• Ginger - helps to stimulate the body from the inside out, increasing blood flow, digestion and mood
• Chamomile - an herb known to calm the nerves and reduce anxiety through steeping in hot water

A simple juice combo for depression:

Be Happy Juice

• 1 Lemon
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Mango (pitted)
• 2 Handfuls Spinach
• 1/4 cup steeped and cooled chamomile, ginger and lemon balm tea

Want some movement to go along with your juice?  Try these 6 yoga poses to help open the body, mind and spirit to the happiness that awaits you!

1. Child Pose
2. Forward Bend
3. Legs Up On Wall
4. Cat Pose
5. Back Bend
6. Hand Stand

Have a HAPPY JUICING DAY! 

As usual, please consult your physician or health care professional with questions or advice about current medications or affects.

Pregnancy Juice!

You find out you are pregnant... then what?  Do you stop juicing?  Do you change your life completely... how are you going to keep up with your health?

All good questions!  The answer is simple... if it is good for you and does not pose risk to pregnancy (in general) then it is good for baby.

It is VERY important to note that if you have been juice fasting or have been drinking mainly juice and little solids... it is time to change that and start introducing healthy, solid foods in conjunction with juice. Your body and your baby need the nutrients and health benefits found within whole foods.  It is still a good idea to stick with mostly fresh vegetables and fruits, however it may be time to start introducing additional food high in fiber, fatty acids, folic acid and all additional calories.

Your body is ramping up to support life!

With that said, here are some good suggestions for juicing in the first stages of pregnancy:

• Keep parsley to a minimum: parsley is known to affect contractions when taken in high dosages.  So keep it to a sprig or two a few times per week or less.
• Ginger - Ginger - Ginger: I can't say enough good things about this root.  It not only settles a stomach but improves the integrity of the entire digestive system while invigorating the body... for a little added energy!
• Citrus: this will keep your energy up, your spirits up and will ensure your immune system is on the "up and up."
• Cucumber: a fantastic hydrating and anti-bloating veggie.  
• Apples: natural, slow-burning sugars... lots of fiber and good, cleansing properties.  Plus they are yummy!
• Juice 2-3 times per day!

Try this for a refreshing first trimester juice recipe:

1 small knob of ginger

1 lemon

1 orange

1 green apple

1/4 cucumber

Handful of spinach

Happy Prego-Juicing! 

Plateau Obliteration – Day Three!

When “obliterating a plateau” it’s hard to stay motivated.  Progress isn't as fast, my internal engine has slowed down to accommodate for the pace it wants to follow and it is just plain hard work.

Day three is always the day that I seem to hit my slump.  Today I left the gym feeling tired and sore and a little bloated from the weekend.  The scale has not moved an inch and this is about the time when I start to feel a bit defeated.

Time for a little self-talk and some motivation boosting!  Luckily, I have been here before and I know how to push through. 

Step 1:  Stick to the plan.  Make sure that you are juicing each day in accordance with the plan you've created for yourself.  

• For my “plateau obliteration plan” I am making a commitment to incorporate no more than 25% fruit juice into my routine.  This forces me to seek vegetable alternatives which add less sugar and less calories.

Step 2:  Increase intensity and duration.  For your movement or exercise routine, it’s time to pick up the pace and increase intensity and duration.  That means you want to increase your heart-rate for a longer period of time.  

• My current goal during this time is to increase my cardio to 30 min instead of 20 at an intensity of 6-7 vs. my previous 5.  I’m sweating bullets!

Step 3:  Check the negative attitude.  This is about the time when I start the negative talk in my head, “I’m just too tired… I am not making any headway… there’s no point, I might as well take the day off… I think I’m looking fatter… this is just too hard… I've made a lot of progress recently, I don’t’ need to work that hard.”  Do any of these sound familiar?  These are the types of negative thoughts that work against you and against your best interest.  

• I, personally, “fake it till I make it.”  I start talking to myself in the exact opposite manner, reversing those statements.  Even though I don’t quite believe them at first, I keep going until I start to feel the lift in my spirit.

Step 4:  Take a step back.  Look at how far you've already come!  What a feat!  Whether it’s weight loss, better health, more energy… take a moment to recognize and build yourself up for the progress you've already made.  Remember what it felt like to start your new juicing routine.  Remember how hard that first week was.  Now look at the positive progress!  

• I figure... I've already made it through the first phase... nothing is going to stop me from making it through the next!  I deserve this... and I can't wait to look back and remember what this phase was like.

Try this extra green recipe to kick-start your system!

Uber Green (just chug it)

½ bunch kale

½ bunch rainbow chard

1 large bag of spinach

½ cucumber

½in ginger root

¼ lemon

1 apple

Morning Juice - Wake up!

You are rolling out of bed, it's cold outside and all you want to do is pretend the baby isn't crying and that the dog could open the back door by herself.

Well... if your life is anything like mine, my alarm promptly reminds me that I am both a parent, a dog owner and a corporate woman.  That means that there is no sleeping in and there is no pressing snooze.  Time to wake up!

One of my favorite ingredients in my morning juice is grapefruit.  I thoroughly enjoy the bright smells and the not-too-sweet citrus flavor.  I can remember being a child and picking fresh grapefruits from my Gramma's backyard.  I would take the warm fruit and bring it right to my nose, taking in that aroma.  I would peel and eat it like an orange... juice running down my face and hands.

This fruit is a perfect wake-me-up ingredient and it's natural health benefits give you a boost right away in the morning.  Some include...

• High dose of vitamin C which helps to not only reduce inflammation but strengthen the immune system.
• Skin health through high levels of vitamin A.
• Weight loss through fat burning enzymes, apatite suppressants and metabolism boosters.

Tomorrow, why not try this simple morning juice recipe... and make sure to let me know how you feel.

Wake-up!

1 grapefruit (peeled)

1 granny smith apple

3 carrots

Handfull of spinnach

1 in cube of ginger

1/2 lemon

*Juice and drink!

Hope you have a fantastic morning!

Ginger - The World Traveler

Ginger... the smell, the taste and the feeling of ginger as it awakens those senses!

This amazing root is well known across cultures, weaving it's zingy flavor through centuries of food and herbal remedies.  From the mountains of China to the beaches of Greece, across the oceans to the US and the Caribbean, this root has just about hit every continent.

It has been a well loved spice not only in my stove-top cooking but in my juicing regimen as well.  A cube of ginger adds immense flavor and even greater health benefits to my daily routine.  I have grown to almost crave it's bite and the invigorating affect it has on my system.

What are some of these benefits?  How can a simple root have such a profound affect?

First off, ginger is in one of the top antioxidant groups.  It's volatile oils (an essential oil having the odor and flavor of the plant from which it comes) are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic which makes this a "gut's" best friend!

To name just a few digestive benefits related to this root, ginger:

• Reduces inflammation within the digestive system
• Reduces gas
• Increases nutrient absorption
• Soothes the digestive tract
• Induces mobility of the gut
• Helps digest fats by increasing bile production

Other benefits include:

• Fever reduction
• Reduced feelings of nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness
• Mood enhancing aroma therapy 
• Energizing aroma therapy

What more can I say... Ginger root detoxifies, rebuilds and stimulates all at the same time!  Hence my daily use.  

So why not give this zingy root a try in your next batch of juice?  Flavor and health all in one place... Go Ginger!